1. Field of Invention
A process for accelerated and sustainable algae growth using a vertical tank photobioreactor, which includes steps involving the sustainable algae growth, preferably of the strain nannochloropsis oculata, the harvest of a portion of the algae in a harvester apparatus, the reduction and recycling of byproducts using recycled waste and conversion of gasses to useable and sustainable recycling within the process, the algae product supplied in wet or dry form for the further production of biofuels through the conversion of the algae to crude oil.
2. Description of Prior Art
A preliminary review of prior art patents was conducted by the applicant which reveal prior art patents in a similar field or having similar use. However, the prior art inventions do not disclose the same or similar elements as the present algae growth process, nor do they present the material components in a manner contemplated or anticipated in the prior art.
The present process involves the use of recycled waste water to provide a nutrient source for the algae bioreactor and for the production of methane used for production of steam for use in the later process, a photobioreactor, which incorporates internal LED light sources of an optimal wavelength to grow the algae source within the bioreactor, a compressed air source to supply the bioreactor with air to provide CO2 to the algae culture within the bioreactor and also to move the biomass algae within the bioreactor at a gentle flow without damage to the algae, a harvester condenser for removal of excess water from the harvested algae from the bioreactor, a fresh water storage tank for recycling within the process as steam and reintroduction into the bioreactor, a harvester dryer for the completion of the water removal fro the wet algae harvest materials for the harvester condenser and a steam powered electrical generator to supply the system with electric power using the water taken from the primary harvester and harvester dryer, with garbage, trash, wood waster, rubbish and other combustible waster to supply heat to the process, to generate CO2 for the growth of the algae with a byproduct from the process being dry powdered algae, fresh water, oxygen, fuel gas methane and electricity.
Prior art bioreactors include several products for the production of algae. In U.S. Patent Application No. 2010/0034050 to Erb, a bioreactor is disclosed using a plurality of turbine blades to stir the algae culture which has light in the turbine blades with air nozzles forming a sparger for the introduction of carbon dioxide. A bioreactor with an impeller is also shown in U.S. Patent Application NO. 2012/0047797 to Berman. A bioreactor for the growth of algae formed from a channel tube circulates water and algae with the tube containing a linear optic cable light to stimulate growth through the algae and water medium being circulated through the tubes in U.S. Patent Application No. 2009/0203116 to Bazaire. A similar flow bioreactor except using external light sources is shown in U.S. Patent Application No. 2013/0061455 to Greene and U.S. Pat. No. 7,763,457 to Dunlop.
Light cones partial emerged in a tank containing algae along with nozzles to introduce gasses into the tank are shown in U.S. Pat. No. 8,033,047 to Rasmussen, the device using the gas injectors to stimulate a circular flow of the water and algae within the growth tank. A bioreactor having stationary vertical light rods, a gas diffuser plate, a lift wall separating the algae from a gas conduit and thermal tubes is disclosed in U.S. Patent Application NO. 2013/0280757 to Dvorak a light insert for a bioreactor is shown in U.S. Patent Application No. 2012/016722 to Wright, having legs suspending an LED light source upon a plate above the bottom of an algae tank, the LEDs being associated with the proper growth spectrum for the algae, although not fully disclosed in number or color.
Algae growth trays are shown in U.S. Patent Application No. 2010/0162621 to Seebo, having doors and panels over a plurality of stacked trays for the growth of algae cultures and uses horizontal lighting to stimulate the algae growth within a closed box containing the stacked trays. Outside light is used to illuminate a flowing stream of algae and water which is presented in glass columns in a very early U.S. Pat. No. 2,658,310 to Cook, for the cultivation of Chlorella pyrenoidosa, a type of algae.                Processes for the generation of algae for the production of oil are also disclosed in the prior art. Two patents to Howard, U.S. Patent Applications No. 2008/0299643 and 2008/0096267, involve processes where algae is cultivated in open pond systems covered on an acreage. Another process summarized in U.S. Patent Application No. 2008/0293132 to Goldman, uses focused light from a solar field focused within a photobioreactor (PBH) to generate algae and solar power. In a patent application to Rush, U.S. Patent Application No. 2008/0102503, cellulose, sugars, and fermentation combine with algae to create biodiesel and alcohol. In the Wu application, U.S. Patent Application NO. 2010/0081835, fish and algae are grown together and the algae is separated and cultured with a nutrient wherein lipids from the fish and algae extracts create a biofuel. A particular microalga Chlorella protothecoides is grown subsequent to inoculation to purify the specific type algae, two levels of carbohydrate feeding for the algae, harvesting the algae, drying the algae, extracting the oils from the algae and producing biodiesel by reaction of transesterification using the extracted oils as feedstock. It also uses a centrifuge in the drying process and an impeller throughout the growth process. In U.S. Patent Application NO. 2012/0214198 to Trosch, a treatment process is disclosed comprising the steps of an anaerobic biological treatment of an organic suspension, filtration of the suspension, supply of the filtered material derived from the suspension as a media component to an algal culture, burning methane generated in connection with the algae growth process for the generation of energy and supplying the CO2 generated from the burning of the methane into the algae culture. A second process is disclosed which includes the supply of CO@ to the algae culture prior to the burning of the methane to create more CO2. In Paragraph [0086-87} of the Trosch patent, Nannochloropsis oculata is one type of algae culture mentioned as being a suitable algal culture for its process.        
In two recent articles published in Internet articles, a very fast process for the extraction of crude oil from a green paste made from cultivated algae was disclosed in an article published by the pacific Northwest national Laboratory, http://pnnl.gov/news/release.aspx?id=1029, based upon a published article Process development for hydrothermal liquification of algae feedstocks in a continuous-flow reactor, Algae Research, Sep. 29, 2013; DOI: 10.1016/j/algal.2013:08:005. See also, Biofuel scientists making headway on cheaper algae-based crude, Dec. 27, 2013, Collin Eaton in FuelFix at http://fuelfix.com/blog/2013/12/27/biofuel . . . . This technology is licensed by Genifuel Corporation and is working with an industrial partner to build a pilot plant using the technology. In the PNNL process, a slurry of wet algae is pumped into the front end of a chemical reactor. Once the system is up and running, out comes crude oil in less than an hour, along with water and a byproduct stream of material containing phosphorus that can be recycled to grow more algae. “With additional conventional refining, the crude algae oil is converted into aviation fuel, gasoline or diesel fuel.” The waste is further processed yielding a burnable gas and substances including potassium and nitrogen, which along with the cleansed water, can be recycled to grow more algae. The biggest drawback to the present system in this article is production, the new process only processing 1.5 liters of algae per hour.